If your child snores loudly, breathes through their mouth, has frequent sore throats, or seems restless while sleeping, enlarged tonsils or adenoids may be part of the problem.
Tonsil and adenoid problems are common in children and can affect breathing, swallowing, sleep, and recurring infections.
These symptoms do not automatically mean your child needs surgery, but they can be a reason to have the tonsils, adenoids, and airway evaluated.
The tonsils are two areas of tissue located on either side of the back of the throat. The adenoids are located higher behind the nose and normally cannot be seen by looking inside the mouth.
Both are part of the immune system and help respond to germs entering through the nose and mouth. In some children, they become enlarged because of infection, inflammation, allergies, or simply because the tissue is naturally larger. Texas Children's notes that enlarged tonsils and adenoids may sometimes cause no problems at all, while in other children they can interfere with breathing and sleep.
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids can narrow the airway and make it harder for air to move freely while a child is sleeping.
Occasional snoring during a cold can happen, but persistent or loud snoring may be associated with enlarged tonsils, enlarged adenoids, allergies, or sleep related breathing problems.
Because the adenoids sit behind the nose, enlarged adenoids can make nasal breathing more difficult.
Children may begin breathing through their mouth during the day, at night, or both.
Children with airway obstruction may toss and turn, wake frequently, sleep in unusual positions, or seem like they are not getting restful sleep.
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a common cause of obstructive sleep apnea in children. Sleep apnea can cause snoring, gasping, pauses in breathing, restless sleep, and poor sleep quality.
Poor sleep can sometimes show up during the day as tiredness, difficulty concentrating, behavior changes, or problems at school.
Some children experience repeated episodes of tonsillitis or strep throat.
Symptoms may include:
When infections happen repeatedly, an ENT can review how often they occur, how severe they are, and whether they are affecting school, sleep, or everyday life.
An ENT evaluation may be appropriate if your child has:
The evaluation usually starts with a review of your child's symptoms and medical history along with an examination of the ears, nose, throat, and tonsils.
The ENT may ask questions such as:
Depending on the symptoms, additional evaluation may include examination of the adenoids or a sleep study. Texas Children's lists physical examination, nasopharyngoscopy, and sleep studies among possible tests when enlarged tonsils or adenoids are being evaluated.
Not every child with enlarged tonsils or adenoids needs surgery.
Treatment depends on what is causing the symptoms and how much the condition is affecting breathing, sleep, swallowing, or recurring infections.
Surgery may be considered for certain children with significant sleep related breathing obstruction or recurrent tonsil infections. Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy is commonly used for these problems when clinically appropriate.
A tonsillectomy is the surgical removal of the tonsils.
An adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoids.
No. Some children may need only the tonsils removed, only the adenoids removed, or both. The recommendation depends on the child's symptoms and examination.
Yes. Although the tonsils and adenoids participate in the immune system, the body has other tissues that continue performing immune functions after they are removed when surgery is medically appropriate.
If your child has frequent tonsil infections, loud snoring, mouth breathing, difficulty swallowing, or breathing concerns during sleep, Glatz Group can evaluate whether the tonsils or adenoids may be contributing.
Learn more about our ENT care for children in McAllen and our throat care services.
Concerned about your child's tonsils, snoring, or breathing?
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